


Crickets

by VaterUnser



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-05 04:21:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1805128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VaterUnser/pseuds/VaterUnser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi forms a mutual crush with a regular at his shop, Farlan. He learns the quirks of his new crush, and learns that getting invested can lead to tragedy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crickets

Let me tell you a story. It’s not a very happy story. I don’t ever tell those, because they’re boring as hell. Sometimes I wonder if this is even real, if it actually happened to me. Maybe it was some weird day dream I had when I desperately needed a cigarette, or maybe something my brain conjured up while I was still half asleep in the shower.

Regardless, I’m going to tell you this story. Let me start off by explaining myself. My name is Levi Ackerman, and I’m 24 years old. I work in a tiny pet shop in the middle of nowhere. It’s the kind of town where everyone knows each other and their business. It’s annoying as hell if you ask me, but the daily gossip gets you through your work shift, I guess.

For the past few years, I’d have this regular come in. He was a bit of an odd one, too. Hair that flipped in weird places like a cow gave him a groom. Really tall and lanky, too. I could probably push him over with a sneeze or something.

Not only was he really quiet, but he’d always come in on Wednesday with his cat on his shoulder. I only found out his name by looking at his debit card. Church. His name was Farlan Church. Every Wednesday, without fail, he’d bring his cat in and buy a fleece mouse stuffed with catnip. 

“She loses them under the fridge.” He’d tell me. He had an awkward smile. Sometimes I think he just needed an excuse to get out. I can’t say I blame him. This town is boring as hell.

I began to look forward to working. I even requested to work on Wednesdays, just to see that loser and his cat come through. He was quiet, and I appreciated that. Unlike the ladies who came in and screeched about their cats, or the kids who pressed their disgusting grimy faces to the reptile cages. Nothing is worse than cleaning prepubescent face smudge off a tarantula’s glass. Like, seriously? Fucking rude.

Farlan’s cat would hop off his shoulder, onto the counter. She’d purr and we’d just sit there petting her for a few minutes. Yeah, call me a sap, but it was nice, okay? I like cats. They’re clean animals. I respect that.

One Wednesday, Farlan didn’t show. I wondered where he was. He has a life, I was sure. Maybe he had an event, or school or something. I was really bummed when he wasn’t there with his cat. I even stocked the fleece mice. Whatever. He would show up later in the week, maybe. Maybe he would notice the purple one I put up front for him. He always picked the purple ones. Sometimes they were plaid, sometimes paisley. It didn’t matter the pattern, as long as it was purple. His cat’s collar was purple too, now that I think about it. It must have been his favorite color. 

Anyway. I got back to doing inventory. Feeding fish. Generally trying to pass the time. I hate the smell of fish food. It’s foul and disgusting and if you get a good whiff of it, you can taste it sometimes. How can they stand that? I don’t know. Fucking fish. Cleaning fish tanks is always my least favorite. I literally cannot consider it a job well done unless every little pebble is algae free. Let me tell you how much of a back breaking task that is, especially when there are fifty gallons of water to five foot two of you. It ain’t fun. Neither is sweeping up after the parrots. 

It was Wednesday again. I looked up from my binder of inventory to see two familiar faces. Farlan smiled at me. I nodded my head at him in acknowledgement. His cat remained on his shoulder. 

“Nice shirt.” He said to me. For the sake of it, I wore a purple t-shirt. Why not. I thanked him. He reached behind his head to give his cat a scratch. Her name was Olivia. She was a short haired, all black cat with the brightest green eyes you’d ever see. Kinda creepy. Like a witch’s cat or some shit like that. 

He invited me to a movie. I obliged. Why the hell not. He’s cute and there’s nothing else to do in this damn town. He said he was going to take Olivia home, and then pick me up after my shift.

“I’m off at six.” He smiled. It was weird, because he had this smile that was almost eerie on his face, like it didn’t belong. It made me uncomfortable at first.

Time took forever to pass. No one visited between four and six. I thought I was going to stab my eyes out with a ball point pen. Really. I had just fed the lizards, too. Crickets. Everywhere. Son of a fuck. I wish we’d go back to feeding them mealworms. Those don’t jump around AND chirp endlessly.

He was there at six o’clock sharp. Incredible. Standing right outside of his black Nissan. 

We never went to that movie. We made out in his car. He has his tongue pierced. I could get used to that. Ten o’clock rolled around, and he drove me home. I invited him inside, but he said he had to get some to feed his cat, and prepare for his sister’s wedding. Rehearsal dinner or something along those lines. I didn’t really pay attention. He said we could go out for coffee or lunch sometime. Cliche dates. Sure. That could be fun. And we did. He took me to coffee and we talked. Farlan loved to read. He told me he owned a Grimoire. I pretended to know what the fuck that was. He told me about making beeswax candles and growing herbs in his house. 

This guy was seriously one of a kind. It surprised me how I had never met him before, or even heard of him. He is a bit reclusive, so I guess that explains it. He dressed funny, too. Like, not bad, but not average small town American, I guess. He wore baggy sweaters and pants, but I could still tell he was thin. It was in his face. His cheeks were sharp and his eyes were just slightly sunken in. Only noticeable if you knew what to look for. Regardless. Still handsome, now that I have the chance to think back on it.

It was Tuesday. Work was slow, as per usual. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Apparently Farlan was going to fetch me at the usual time tomorrow, after his sister’s wedding rehearsal dinner. I told him I looked forward to it. I did. He keeps me busy.

He didn’t show up. I even waited around until 6:30 for him. He wasn’t answering any messages either. His phone went to voicemail. I was pissed as hell. Disappointed, even. That stupid blond stood me up, like a damn fool. So I went home and drank that evening. That’s why I don’t attach myself to people. They can and will let you down.

I forgot about it for a few days, and distracted myself with work. We just got a shipment on chinchillas, and those are a ton of work. Dirty creatures who, literally, bathe in dust. Ugh. Cannot believe the bullshit I put up with to pay rent sometimes. While I was dumping alfalfa pellets into a ceramic bowl for our new companions, I noticed a tall figure come up behind me. I turned to see Farlan, cat on his shoulder like always. 

“Where were you last week?” I questioned. Just then, the bell on the front door jingled. I didn’t notice that a minute ago when Farlan walked in.

He just stood there like the weird frankenstein-esque being that he is. I stood up and dusted my apron off. 

“Well?” The other customer would have to wait. I remembered I was pissed at him. He still didn’t give me an answer. Olivia’s tail swished around his neck and he stepped aside. He looked solemn, and avoided eye contact. 

Mrs. Orson’s voice broke my fixation on Farlan. 

“Talking to the rats again, Levi?” 

“I’ll be with you in a moment, ma’am.”

She approached me, not taking any notice to the blond to my right.

“Did you hear the news this morning? I know you’re not one for the goings on, but I know you’ve been-“

I whipped my head towards her and gave her the most ‘I am so tired of your presence already’ look I could manage without actually speaking.

“Mrs. Orson, I said I would be with you in a moment. If you would please give us some space, I would greatly appreciate it.”

By this time, my teeth were so firmly pressed together my cheeks started to ache. She raised her eyebrows at me and stepped back, as if I were speaking Greek to her. I swear, old people don’t lay off sometimes.

“Farlan.” I turned my attention to him again. Still, he wouldn’t look at me. He just stood there, with his sunken eyes fixed on the floor. His shoes were worn down, like he had owned them since high school, and they were his only pair. Once again, Mrs. Orson’s voice was like a mosquito in my ear. I rolled my eyes.

“Yes?” I hissed through my teeth. This conversation with Farlan was going nowhere. I might as well just get her out of my shop and deal with him later.

“What was this news you wanted to tell me about? Did the major finally pull his head from his ass?”

Mrs. Orson shook her head. She was a regular, who learned to put up with my shit. She was one of the ones I could stand, for the most part. She just shook her head and dug through her large, and rather hideous purse. I was handed a news paper. 

I skimmed over the headline, and I could feel my blood run cold in my gut. Four dead in hit-and-run accident. I saw the paper leave my hands, but at the time it didn’t quite register that Mrs. Orson was taking it from me. She explained that Farlan was her grandson. She told me she was at that dinner. She left with Farlan, and the soon-to-be wedded couple.

I looked up. The store was empty. Damn crickets.

**Author's Note:**

> this is for kyle :>


End file.
